Running-gear for vehicles



(No Model.)

S, GESNEB. Jr., 81; J; P. STEVENS.

RUNNING GEAR 1-"0N VEHICLES.

No. 311.654. 'Paten'ted'F e'b. s, 85.

flatten Sra'ras Area? rricr SYLVESTER GESNER, JR, AND JAMES FRANCISSTEVENS, OF NORTH TARRYTOlVN, NEW YORK.

RUNNING-GEAR FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 311,654, dated February3, 1885.

Appli'ation filed February l9, 1984. (No molel.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, SYLVESTER GESNER, J r., and JAMES FRANCIS Srnvnns,both of North Tarrytown, in the county of \Vestchester and State of NewYork, have invented a new and Improved Vehicle, of which the fol lowingis a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of our invention is to provide a new and improved vehiclewhich is simple in construction, rides easily, and is strong anddurable.

The invention consists in the combination, with fifth-wheel track-plateshaving different diameters and secured to the under side of thewagon-box, of a spring-frame carrying the front axle and pivoted to theunder side of the box by a king-bolt.

The invention also consists in, other parts and details and combinationsof the same, as will be fully described and set forth hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a plan view of the under side of our improved vehicle. Fig.2 is a longitudinal side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a front endelevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal elevation of aking-bolt.Fig. 5 is a side view of the joint of the reach. Fig. (5 is aplan viewof the joint in the reach. Fig. 7isa perspective view ofthejointin thereach. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a socket-ring of the reachjoint.

To transverse strips A, secured to the bottom of the wagon-box B, at thefront end, two opposite segmental fifthwheel traclrpla-tes, O. aresecured, and at the front end of the wagon a segmental fifth-wheeltrack-plate, O, is secured, which has a greater diameter than thetrack-plate O. The said tracleplates can be made of steel or iron, asmay be desired. The track-plates C and C have the same center, and theyare securely bolted to the bars or strips A on the bottom of the boX.The kingbolt E passes through the bottom of the wagonbox and through thereach Fin a manner that will be described hereinafter, and it alsopasses through a bar, G, secured at right angles at its inner end to acrossbar, H, a short distance in front ofwhich the bolt passes throughthe bar G.

On the front end of the bar G a head-block, J, is secured, which isprovided on its upper surface with a steel bar, J, which runs on thefront fifth-whet]. track, 0.

To the upper surface of the cross-bar H two steel plates, H, are securedto run on the under surface of the two fifth-wheel track-plates O.Half-bow springs K have their inner ends bolted or clipped to the endsof the cross-bar H, and have their lower front ends bolted or clipped tothe ends of a downwardly-curved bow-spring, L, which is secured atitsmiddleto the bottom surface of the head-block J. The said springs K areclipped a short distance from their lower front ends to blocks M ontending from the axle to the front lower ends of the springs is rigidand stiff, and the weight of the box. is supported from the front axleby means of side springs, K, and the front spring, L, whereby the loadof the wagon-box will be equally balanced, and there will be no twistingstrain on the axle. The kin'g bolt E is provided at its upper end with ahead, E, resting on the upper surface of the wagonbox bottom, and ashort distance below the said head the bolt is screw-threaded, and onthe screwthreaded part a nut, E is screwed, which, when the parts are-inposition, rests against the under side of the bar G. The lower part ofthe king-bolt is made smaller, as shown in Fig. at. The reach of thewagon is formed of the two parts N and O, of which the former is securedto the rear axle and the latter to the front axle.

On the top and bottom surfaces of the inner ends of the part 0 of thereach, two plates, 0, are secured, which are bent to form a horizontaltongue, P, on the end of the part 0.

On the top and bottom surfaces of the inner end of the partN two plates,N, are secured, between which the tongue 1 on the inner end of the part0 fits. The tongue P is provided with an aperture, Q, for receivingajoint ring, R, provided with a central aperture, R, for the king-bolt,and with two side apertures, R", for bolts S, which are passed throughapertures S in the plates N. The king-bolt passes through apertures T inthe plates N, and a nut, V, is secured on the lower end of the king-bolt. The frame formed of the bars G H, the springs K L, and the partof the reach can easily turn on the king-bolt, the plates H of the bar Hand the plate J of the head-block J running on the fifth-wheeltrackplates 0 and C, respectively. Braces \V have their ends bolted tothe sides of the part 0 of the reach at the inner end of the same, andhave their outer ends clipped to the front axle, M. A bolt, I, unitingthe inner ends of the braces W, passes through the space between theplates N and between the inner end of the bar N and the end of thetongue P, as shown in Figs. and 6. Braces I) extend from the rear partof the reach to the rear axle, (Z. Springs 70, shaped like the springsK. have their upper inner ends secured to a cross-bar, a, fixed on theunder side of the wagon-box, and their lower outer ends are secured tothe ends of a bow-spring, Z, secured at its middle to the under side ofthe rear end of the wagonbox, which springs 7c are clipped to the rearaxlefl. Ifdesired, on along wagon the springs k can be reversedthat is,the ends secured to the cross-bar on the box may be the outer upperends, and the ends secured to the transverse bow-springl may be thelower inner ends-or other springs may be substituted. Braces X extendfrom the ends of the cross-bar H to the head-block J.

The above-described vehicle-gear is simple in construction. Thefifth-wheel can be set true very easily, as it is made in parts, andbeing of different radii, the body need not be set back, or rather thefifth-wheel need not project outside of the body, thereby permitting theking-bolt to be placed anywhere back of the axle, and the lower part ofthe king-bolt, being smaller than the upper part, permits the hole inthe reach to be made about the size ofthe hole in the body and platform,thereby avoiding the weakening of the reach, and at the'same timeallowing of snfificient play for the king-bolt in passing overobstructions. Owing to the great length of the side and transversesprings, the vehicle rides very safely. The transverse springs can bemade very long, because the body can be set between the side springs,for that reason, also, the body can be set very low, as the transversesprings are not over the axle. The vehicle is pulled by attaching theshafts to either the axle or to the ends of the side springs. There isnot as much strain on the king-bolt as in an ordinary vehicle. Thisvehicle can turn in a much shorter space than an ordinary vehicle havinghigh wheels. It is less liable to upsetin turning, and it islight, bothas regards weight and appearance. It is not absolutely necessary in allcases to have the king-bolt work in the reach.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a vehicle, the combination, with fifthwheel track-plates havingdifferent diameters and secured to the under side of the wagonbox, of aspring-frame carrying the front axle pivoted to the under side of thebox by a kingbolt. substantially as herein shown and de scribed.

2. In a vehicle, the combination, with fifthwheel track-plates havingdifferent diameters and secured to the under side of the wagon box, of aspring-frame carrying the front axle, a jointed reach, and a king-boltserving as a pivot for both the frame and the sections of the reach,substantially as herein shown and described.

3. In a vehicle, the combination, with fifthwheel track-plates havingdili'erent diameters, of the axle-frame consisting of the side springs,K, secured to the axle, the front cross-spring, L, connecting the frontends oftlie side springs, the head-block J, the crossbar H, uniting theinner ends of the side springs, the bar G, extending from the cross-barH to the headblock, and the plates H J, secured, respectively, to saidcrossbar and head-block, subsiantially as herein shown and described.

SYLVESTER GESNER, JR. JAMES FRANCIS STEVENS.

Vitnesses:

J AS. A. Sron is, EDWIN H. Vfnrrn.

